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Semi-closed primary
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A semi-closed primary, also known as a hybrid primary, is a type of primary election in which previously unaffiliated voters may participate in the partisan primary of their choice. Voters who are already affiliated with a political party can vote only in that party's primary.[1][2]
Usage
Congressional and state-level elections
In 15 states, at least one political party conducts semi-closed primaries for congressional and state-level offices. The map below identifies states in which at least one political party utilizes semi-closed primaries for congressional and state-level elections. Hover over a state for additional details.[1]
| States in which at least one political party utilizes semi-closed primaries for congressional and state-level elections | ||
|---|---|---|
| State | Semi-closed primaries | Notes |
| Alaska | Yes (Republicans) | The Republican Party primary is open to registered party members, undeclared voters, and nonpartisan voters. |
| Arizona | Yes | |
| Colorado | Yes | |
| Idaho | Yes | State law stipulates that political parties can determine for themselves who may participate in their primary elections. Unaffiliated voters can affiliate with a party on the day of the election and participate in its primary. Voters who are already affiliated with a political party must disaffiliate no later than the 10th Friday preceding the primary election in order to affiliate with another party and vote in its primary.[3] |
| Kansas | Yes | Section 25-3301 of the Kansas Statutes stipulates that a voter who is already affiliated with a political party can participate only in that party's primary. An unaffiliated voter can declare his or her affiliation with a political party on the day of the election and vote in that party's primary. Previously affiliated voters cannot change their affiliation on the day of the election.[4] |
| Massachusetts | Yes | |
| Nebraska | Yes | Section 32-912 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes stipulates that a voter must be affiliated with a political party in order to participate in that party's primary. The law also permits parties to determine for themselves whether voters not affiliated with the party can participate in the party's primary. These provisions do not apply to elections for Nebraska's nonpartisan state legislature, which employs a two-round electoral system in which the top two vote-getters in the primary face off in the general election.[5] |
| New Hampshire | Yes | |
| New Jersey | Yes | A previously unaffiliated voter can participate in the primary of his or her choice by affiliating with a party on the day of the election. Otherwise, a voter must indicate his or her party preference (e.g., via an updated voter registration) no later than the 55th day preceding the primary in order to vote in that party's primary. |
| New York | Yes (Reform Party) | In 2018, the Reform Party opened its primary to independent voters.[6] |
| North Carolina | Yes | |
| Oklahoma | Yes (Democratic Party) | Section 26-1-104 of the Oklahoma Statutes stipulates that only a registered member of a political party can vote in that party's primary. The law does grant parties the authority to determine for themselves whether unaffiliated voters may vote in their primaries.[7] |
| Rhode Island | Yes | |
| South Dakota | Yes (Democratic Party) | Section 12-6-26 of the South Dakota Codified Laws stipulates that a voter who has registered with a political party can only vote in that party's primary. The statute does grant parties the authority to determine for themselves whether unaffiliated voters may participate in their primaries.[8] |
| Utah | Yes | |
| West Virginia | Yes | State law permits political parties to determine for themselves whether unaffiliated voters may participate in their primary elections.[9] |
Presidential primaries and caucuses
2020 presidential primaries and caucuses
The maps below detail voter participation rules for the Democratic and Republican parties in the 2020 presidential nominating process. Hover over a state to see additional information. Please note that this information is tentative and subject to change.
For information from previous presidential election cycles, click "[Show more]" below.
2016 presidential primaries and caucuses
The map below identifies states in which at least one political party utilized semi-closed primaries or caucuses as part of the presidential nominating process in 2016. Hover over a state for additional details.
| States in which at least one political party utilized semi-closed primaries or caucuses for presidential nominating process, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| State | Semi-closed primaries or caucuses | |
| Massachusetts | Yes | |
| New Hampshire | Yes | |
| North Carolina | Yes | |
| Oklahoma | Yes (Democrats) | |
| Rhode Island | Yes | |
| South Dakota | Yes (Democrats) | |
| West Virginia | Yes | |
Recent legislation
The map below identifies states in which legislation related to the conduct of primary elections has been introduced. Hover over a state to see the precise number of relevant bills introduced in that state. A darker shade of red indicates a greater number of relevant bills. In those states shaded in white, relevant bills have not been introduced. For state-specific details, click a state in the map below or select a state from the drop-down menu beneath the map. A list of state legislation will display, including information about bill status and links to full text. This information is provided by BillTrack50.com. To return to the map, click "Back" in the upper righthand corner of the legislation list.
See below for a complete list of primary systems bills. To learn more about a particular bill, click its title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
See also
- Primary election
- Open primary
- Closed primary
- Blanket primary
- Top-two primary
- Ballot access for major and minor party candidates
- Ballot access for presidential candidates
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 FairVote, "Who Can Vote in Congressional Primaries," accessed August 17, 2017
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," July 21, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Statutes, "Section 34-904A," accessed September 14, 2017
- ↑ Kansas Statutes, 'Section 25-3301," accessed September 14, 2017
- ↑ Nebraska Revised Statutes, "Section 32-912," accessed September 14, 2017
- ↑ Ballot Access News, "New York Reform Party Will Hold First Statewide Primary in Which New York Independent Voters May Vote," May 21, 2018
- ↑ Oklahoma Statutes, "Section 26-1-104," accessed September 14, 2017
- ↑ South Dakota Codified Laws, "Section 12-6-26," accessed September 14, 2017
- ↑ West Virginia Code, 'Section 3-2-5," accessed September 14, 2017
